parents' experience
Being part of a child's world
Sue pictured with her children.
Sue Searle, a disabled mother from Stevenage, UK, discusses her work as a school governor at her children's school, why it is important, and the need for positive disabled role models.
It's a warm sunny day and I am standing at the top of the hill of a local motte and bailey castle. The handles of my crutches feel warm from the sun and also from the effort it took to walk up the steep hill. There are deer and goats freely grazing.
"Miss, Miss," says a small friendly voice, as the child gently holds on to one of my crutches to make sure he has my full attention. "I need to go to the toilet."
I sigh inwardly and gather together my six charges. We make our way down the hill again. "Why am I here?" I ask myself. Because I am a school governor and I want to be involved in school life.
The 'whole me'
I became a governor at my son's primary school in 2004, when he started nursery. As a parent who often has difficulties walking, I wanted staff to see the 'whole me' – not just the lady who sometimes walked slowly and painfully into school. I felt it was important that Ryan and Kian (who was born on the day I was elected as governor) saw that I was interested in their education, even when I was unable to walk to school or read with them.
Being a governor is an interesting and integral way of helping with your child's education. Each school has a governing board which is responsible for the overseeing of the head teacher and the running of the school. The board is a critical friend of the school – always supportive, but honest and willing to help if there is a problem. The board also has responsibility for the overall school strategy, for example, raising standards and monitoring targets. It is also accountable for the success and performance of the school.
All governors commit to attend a meeting once a term, and a day's visit to classes every year. They also have to attend a day's training on how to be a governor. This is the minimum commitment but, to be honest, this isn't enough to get the best out of the role. I try to do a half-day visit once a term. I also do my best to attend school performances and a couple of assemblies a year, and at least one governor-related course a year.
Adapting
I have responsibility for child protection, looked-after children, special educational needs and also the religious education curriculum. In practical terms, this means that I have to meet up with the staff responsible for these areas of work at least once a year and write a report to the board. These probably take another half-day a year each. I also have the privilege of attending school trips when I am lucky.
It sounds like a lot but as I now have three children in the school, I often arrange it so that I do meetings at the beginning or end of the day. Assemblies are usually the last part of the day so it only means leaving for the school run 30 minutes early.
School trips are very tiring for me and because my condition fluctuates I have to prepare, and the school and I plan for 'worst case scenario'. I work through my own risk assessment. I know my body and would not do a trip unless I knew 100% I could cope with it. Because I am seen so much around the school, the staff know what I am capable of and ways that I can do things by adapting.
Hands-on
This year I am off on a visit to Duxford aviation museum with pupils from years three and four. The children will be split into two groups, taking it in turns to listen to a talk and take part in activities, or to walk around the museum. It has been arranged that I will stay with those in the talk and activities area and will swap groups with another volunteer and they will walk around the museum twice. Most trips are possible for me with a little tweak or planning. It is others' fears and preconceptions that hold me back.
Because I am known as a governor who is willing to be hands-on, children always stop to talk and often so do their parents. Staff like the fact I am approachable and able to make time to see them, and to talk about school, even if it's only in passing. I can't often help at school events but usually help with the planning and preparation. At meetings everything is made accessible to me in any ways that I need.
Parental involvement
Our parents who have additional needs know that they can make an appointment to see me if they have any concerns about their involvement in their child's education. Parents' involvement in their children's education is important for child achievement. There is often a simple way to make sure a parent with a disability isn't left out of this important part of their child's world. For one parent who has difficulty in writing comments about her child's reading at home, it is as simple as providing stickers that say "read well" which she can use on the child's reading record; for another it is e-mailing all correspondence from school, which would otherwise have been sent by letter.
Training courses
Two years ago, our school started its own training courses for parents and the community to train to be teaching assistants. We offer NVQ levels two and three on site. We also have an introductory course 'Investors in the Community' as a way to prepare those who want to become teaching assistants. I am currently working my way through it. I am in the classroom three afternoons a week, which is a lot to take on as I am also working as a doula (an assistant to women during childbirth). Luckily, being a doula is a flexible job. It may have felt uncomfortable for me to be on this course without being so involved in school life, especially as sometimes my job means I have to leave with no notice, and some days I am able to walk normally and other days not.
Role models
Every child should have access to positive role models they can relate to. Our children learn about the likes of Louis Braille and Helen Keller, but where are the disabled role models of today? They include us, and if we show them the value of education and involvement in the community, the sky is the limit.